Chicken liver, orange, pea shoot & watercress salad recipe

Ingredients

• 2 large oranges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 14 ounces chicken livers, trimmed (about 1¾ cups)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup watercress
• ⅔ cup pea shoots

• 2 thick slices of day-old crusty bread
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• ½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 (¼ cup) orange juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the croutons, heat the oven to 350°F. Cut the bread into long strips about ½- to ¾-inch thick, then cut across the strips to create cubes. Put on a baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the thyme and rosemary, and season with the salt and pepper. Roast 8 to 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. Slice off the top and bottom of the oranges, then peel from top to bottom, using a small, sharp knife, to remove all the skin and the white pith, leaving you with the orange still in shape but without its skin. Holding the orange in one hand, you’ll see the lines of the segments. Carefully slice lengthwise on the inside of one of the lines to the center then the same on the other side of the segment. The segment will just fall out. Repeat this with the whole of both oranges and set aside.
3. Put all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until blended, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken livers and cook 2 to 3 minutes without moving or shaking the pan. Turn the livers over and cook 1 minute longer until the they are cooked but still slightly pink in the center (cut one open to check), then remove the pan from the heat and add the butter. Baste the livers with the melted butter. Remove the livers from the pan and let rest on a warm plate.
5. Mix together the watercress and pea shoots in a bowl, add the croutons, livers and orange segments, then drizzle over the dressing and toss together to serve.